The Biden administration dropped a final rule Friday that will reward providers that improve rates of home dialysis and kidney transplants among low-income Medicare and dual-eligible beneficiaries. The goal of the changes is to encourage dialysis providers to decrease disparities in home dialysis and transplant rates, part of a larger effort by the Biden administration. […]
The data, released Thursday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), come as ACO advocates want the agency to give organizations more options to take on financial risk. CMS has shuttered the program in favor of the Direct Contracting model. “Many Next Gen ACOs aren’t moving into Direct Contracting and have expressed a […]
The ideal value chain for any industry or company is one built for lifelong customer retention and loyalty. One component of such a chain is a portfolio strategy that continues to offer maximum choice and affordability. For insurers in the Medicare market, this equates to a mix of plan designs and standalone prescription drug […]
Surprise billing occurs when patients receive care from out-of-network providers without their knowledge. On July 1, the Biden Administration passed an interim final rule: the first portion of the “Requirements Related to the Surprise Billing Act,” in an attempt to curb excessive costs patients are required to pay in relation to surprise billing. The rule […]
Healthcare B2B payment transactions have been high in 2021, potentially signaling the importance of electronic payment transfers as the nation emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report from National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA). Nacha oversees the ACH Network, a national payment system. B2B payments made through this network in the healthcare industry […]
The organization is concerned about policies in the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, ranging from telehealth worries to apprehension about MIPS. The AHA agreed with certain aspects of the rule but also voiced various problems and recommendations for CMS to consider. The AHA opposed several telehealth policies that CMS included in the rule. The […]
Reducing denials starts with understanding osteopathic manipulation as well as coding and coverage guidelines for this therapy. Is it appropriate to bill an evaluation and management (E/M) service when osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is performed at the same visit? We must address a few key principles to adequately answer this question. I learned quickly, having […]
On Aug. 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System (PPS) final rule. Effective Oct. 1, the final rule updates Medicare payment policies and quality reporting programs for inpatient and long-term care hospitals […]
Medicare will pay an additional reimbursement of about $35 per dose administered for up to a maximum of five vaccine administration services per home unit or communal living space, as long as it is in a single group living location, CMS posted on its website earlier today. The payment boost means that Medicare will […]
A leaked CMS report targeting HCA Healthcare-owned Good Samaritan Hospital in California warns the hospital to fix Medicare noncompliance issues or risk termination. A leaked CMS report put HCA Healthcare-owned Good Samaritan Hospital in California at risk of program termination by October if they fail to fix Medicare noncompliance issues that resulted in patient harm. […]